Startup Boston is thrilled to dive into the story of UBERDOC, our 2024 Community Award Winner for Startup of the Year! UBERDOC was founded by Dr. Paula Muto and Brianna Socci in 2015. The two women remain in leadership positions at the company as CEO and COO respectively. UBERDOC provides faster, hassle-free access to medical appointments by allowing consumers to book directly and pay a single price outside of insurance.
We spoke with Founder and COO Brianna Socci, who was also this year's community award winner for Founder of the Year. She shared her vision for UBERDOC, the impact they're having on the healthcare system, and advice she has for other founders.
SB: How did UBERDOC come about?
BS: UBERDOC was founded in 2015 to simplify the complexities of today's healthcare system for both patients and doctors. I partnered with Dr. Paula Muto, who brought immense healthcare domain expertise and has seen firsthand the frustration of patients facing long wait times for appointments due to insurance and authorization delays.
We began by growing our presence in doctors' offices throughout New England, offering doctors the ability to provide services at a flat rate to patients in need of quick medical care. We have since expanded to include 5,000 doctors nationwide across various specialties.
SB: Who reaps the biggest benefit from using UBERDOC, patients or doctors?
BS: The answer is both. Doctors love UBERDOC because they are paid a fair rate promptly. Nowadays, it's becoming more and more difficult to run a private practice because of the payment structure and process. It can take up to 90 days for a doctor to be reimbursed for services by an insurance company. And if services aren’t covered by insurance, they tend to lose a lot of revenue to patients with unpaid bills. With UBERDOC, they get paid instantly.
Patients, on the other hand, can receive medical care on their schedule for a transparent price. Patients wait an average of 25 days for a first consultative appointment, and in metropolitan areas it's often more. They typically have no idea the cost of that first appointment, and it may end up getting canceled due to authorization delays. UBERDOC allows people to pay one transparent cash price for initial visits.
SB: Do patients who have insurance still use UBERDOC?
BS: Yes! A lot of the patients who book appointments through UBERDOC have insurance and are utilizing our platform for faster access. They need to be seen quickly to get an understanding of their health and identify the best course of treatment. With a treatment plan in place, they can leverage insurance for follow-up visits or procedures. This way they avoid a long wait for the initial consultation and they can even use their HSA and FSA benefits on UBERDOC.
SB: What’s the main focus of your business for the next 12 months?
BS: We are focused on executing some major contracts we have in place, which aim to facilitate disability, VA, and military entrance exams. We are raising a seed round right now to support this.
SB: What advice do you have for female founders?
BS: With roughly just 2% of venture funding going to female-founded businesses, it’s important for us to stick together! My advice is to always seek feedback on your pitch and business model. Pitch everybody in the room, solicit constructive criticism, and regularly iterate your approach.
SB: What do you love about the New England Startup scene?
BS: It’s been an awesome experience being a part of this community. It has definitely really grown and evolved since 2015. Back then, it was hard to find the tech advocates or networks of people doing similar things. But our connections have really grown, specifically with Startup Boston. I am connected with so many other female founders in the area, experiencing similar challenges and reaching similar milestones. It’s really great.
SB: What’s your advice for students or job-seekers looking to get more involved in the startup community?
BS: Boston has such a wealth of talented students, and I’m always impressed when I receive direct outreach from them expressing interest in UBERDOC. It shows tenacity to reach out directly and say, “I’d be an awesome addition to your company, and this is why.” LinkedIn and email are great ways to reach me!
You can learn more about UBERDOC on their website.
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